(IMAGN) Alex Hoxie of Brockton, right, who gives aid to the city's homeless people, hands out supplies under the Crescent Street Bridge on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
Sacramento, California – In a bold move to address California’s homelessness crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom today released a model ordinance aimed at helping local governments clear unsafe encampments and connect individuals experiencing homelessness to shelter and services. The announcement comes alongside the release of $3.3 billion in Proposition 1 funding to expand behavioral health housing and treatment across the state.
“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” Newsom said. “Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity — the courts delivered. Now, we’re giving them a model they can put to work immediately.”
The model ordinance provides cities and counties with clear guidelines for addressing encampments, many of which pose serious public health and safety risks, including exposure to crime, sexual violence, and unsanitary conditions. The policy outlines how local jurisdictions can lawfully prohibit persistent camping, enforce sidewalk accessibility, and prioritize notice, shelter, and services before law enforcement clears the encampments.
The ordinance draws from the state’s successful strategy for clearing encampments along state property. Since July 2021, the state has removed more than 16,000 encampments and 311,000 cubic yards of waste and debris. Local governments are encouraged to tailor the ordinance to meet their community’s needs, with provisions requiring at least 48 hours’ notice before removals, outreach to service providers, and secure storage of personal belongings.
Newsom’s administration has invested over $27 billion in local homelessness efforts and strengthened accountability measures. The newly launched platform accountability.ca.gov allows residents to track local progress on homelessness, housing creation, and mental health service expansion.
Despite a national rise in homelessness — up 18% in 2024 — California has slowed its rate of increase to just 3%, outperforming 40 other states. The state also saw the most significant reduction in veteran homelessness last year and held the rise in unsheltered homelessness to only 0.45%, compared to nearly 7% nationally.
The Governor’s model ordinance reflects a coordinated, urgent, and humane strategy to reverse decades of inaction and empower local governments to make meaningful progress.
“There are no more excuses,” Newsom emphasized. “The time for inaction is over. We must act with urgency — and with humanity.”
